RESIDENTS in flood risk areas of Wokingham district could be at risk again this winter after ‘red tape' temporarily sunk a council scheme to tackle the problem.

A £400,000 flash flood action plan, which had won cross-party support at an Overview and Scrutiny Committee at Wokingham District Council, cannot come into force until after it is discussed by the cabinet on Monday, November 5 — almost a year to the day flash floods wreaked district-wide havoc.

Even if the action plan is rubber-stamped at this meeting, some residents who have suffered flooding in the past say it will come too late to be effective.

Winnersh resident Patricia Rowell said she and her fellow Chatsworth Avenue neighbours had their back gardens flooded when a drainage ditch overflowed during last year's torrential rains.

She added: "We were expecting the council to announce these plans in September — it will be too late for us if they're introduced in November, I think it's totally unacceptable."

Speaking at last Wednesday's meeting, Cllr Simon Etheridge revealed some alarming findings about a severe lack of council resources to deal with floods.

He said the council did not even have enough sandbags to help residents shore up their homes.

"Not only do we have a moral responsibility on flooding, it's quite clear we lack the resources to deal with it ourselves," he said.

"We have duties which we have not stepped up previously which we should now be stepping up to."

Cllr Etheridge added that a joint telephone call centre, involving the council, the Environment Agency and Thames Water, would clear up confusion amongst residents about who they should call in the event of flooding.

The flooding issue was also debated at a full council meeting on Monday night.

Lib Dem Cllr Roland Cundy asked what action the council was taking to alleviate the flooding problem.

Cllr Jack Earnshaw, portfolio holder for the environment, said that ongoing work to clear gulleys and drains in the district would be complete by December.

Conservative councillor for Winnersh Liz Siggery asked what major plans were in place to advise motorists of alternative routes when roads are closed due to flooding.

Council leader Cllr Alan Spratling said: "I regret I don't have an answer to that because I don't know when the next floods are to take place."

Cllr Siggery also wanted to know if the action plan could be pushed through before the cabinet meeting in November.

Cllr Spratling said: "I really think we have to wait for the cabinet meeting when it can be discussed properly."

His statement prompted an angry outburst from his political rival Cllr Browne, who exclaimed: "Why don't you just get on with it! Action, not words!"

The Environment Agency last week issued three flood warnings and 56 flood watches across the Thames region.